Jinenji: A Half Demon's Price
by Gesakusha
Summary: A vignette about how difficult life is for a hanyou. It is focuses on Jinenji and is narrated by his mother.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own and of the Inuyasha characters or franchise.

I recently watched the Jinenji episode and it gave me this idea for a vignette. I'll be writing from his human mother's perspective. It's more serious than my other stories.

Don't worry, if you haven't seen the episode I'm referring to this vignette explains most of it anyways. However, I do take some liberties with the story line since everything is not explained in the episode. Please review.

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**Jinenji: A Half Demon's Price**

To live your life as a monster, in fear for your very life, that is the life my son is condemned to. A pure soul, more so than any other person's, overshadowed by an unfortunate physical appearance. I ask the question all people ask, why must life be so unfair?

I watch the shape silhouetted against the sunrise, already hard at work. His disproportional limbs move industrially. The stoop, which comes from fear and no deformity, marks him as my hanyou son. His height dwarfs the plants in the field he works. From this distance I cannot see the orange tinted skin. His huge blue squinty eyes are not visible either. It is unfortunate that he has my looks.

Even I cannot pretend that he is handsome, or even good looking. I refuse to let my feelings become irrational. Yet despite this fact, Jinenji seems to glow just like his father. Not a demonic glow, but a glow that only appears when you are at peace with yourself.

He has been my pride since he was born. Though he shares my looks, he echoes his father in his soul. They say a mother's love is blind, but 'they' are wrong. I see Jinenji's faults, but I also see his that his strengths outweigh these. I know my son, and it hurts to realize that I am the only one who truly cares for him.

Then, that one night of the month when the right side of the moon is darkened he becomes as beautiful in appearance as he is in his heart. Then he truly resembles his father in both form and soul. He is fully human that night, yet he shares his youkai father's looks.

On that day I remember a night so like it previously; the night when I foolishly sprained my ankle. I remember the man who found me and cared for me and the soft glow that surrounded him. With glowing silver hair he looked akin to the moon. The days and nights after I spent with him were bliss in more ways than one.

But then…the villagers slaughtered my love, Jinenji's father. He was a better man than anyone else in the village. It made no difference that he was youkai. The statement that all youkai are evil is simply an excuse to act that way. They are just like humans and can pick how to live their life and their destiny.

Those who are different are singled out for persecution. This is how it has always been. The fear of the unknown terrifies small-minded, ignorant provincials and uneducated, naïve fools. Ignorance breeds fear and fear breeds persecution.

All I must do is look at the scores of scars marking Jinenji's body to feel a righteous anger boil up at these ignorant farmers. Countless attacks, all launched on hearsay and a simple rumor. Even now, after Jinenji has saved the fools they give him no respect, only awe-stricken fear.

Worse are the scars on the soul of my son. His natural curiosity has been quenched by villagers' rebukes. His stout soul, torn and banished to and obscure corner of his mind by pitchforks and spears. A coward he is not, but he has been attacked too many times not to be afraid.

Another saying runs: If you expect the worse of someone they will not fail to disappoint you. Yet again my son stands in defiance to this statement. His has lived an irreproachable life, yet people still find 'flaws'. When you are in the position of an outsider, people find fault with everything even if it is nonexistent.

To walk through life alone is a dismal prospect. Those who have friends and family never seem to realize that others lack them. A person's original lot in life relies solely on a consequence of birth. A person can change their station, but sometimes the challenges they face _are_ insurmountable.

The simple fact of his appearance and a bit of youkai blood in his veins has changed Jinenji's life. He has lived with ridicule, rejection, rebukes, and reprimands his entire life. In our society a good soul is so easily overshadowed by a troublesome past. Again I ask: _why_ is life unfair?

When I think about these things, my mind turns to another young hanyou that I've met. The boy, Inuyasha, who must have met with as many insults and rejection. He looks more human than my Jinenji, yet life has dealt him a similar hand. Perhaps, someday, a society will exist which will not be based on birth, but merit instead.

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That was deeper than I intended on going, but many of the issues I have discussed have been bothering me lately.

Why must there always be an 'aristocracy'? Why must we always judge people by their looks and history and not their merits? I hate it, and I do hope someday a society will exist that truly is based on merit, because currently no country, including the United States is.

Who gave me a soapbox? Anyways, please review, even if you hate it (which I expect several people will).


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